Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Panic in Lagos Airport Over Ebola Cases in Europe, US

The outbreak of Ebola in Spain, Norway and some other parts of Europe is causing fresh panic at the Murtala Muhammed International airport.

Panic in Lagos Airport Over Ebola Cases in Europe, US.

Spain and Norway are currently experiencing cases of Ebola. In Spain, there was a protest by medical workers outside a hospital over suspected cases of Ebola.

This development has triggered panic at the MMA as health and immigration officials have been placed on red alert.

Sources close to the aviation ministry and Port Health Authority told our correspondent on Wednesday that officials have been told to intensify screening process of people arriving the country especially from suspected troubled areas.

An official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, who didn’t want to be quoted confirmed the development and told our correspondent that it was important not to take chances in the light of current happenings in the US, Spain and Norway.

“We just have to be careful to prevent any possible spill over since people come in from all parts of the country.

“We are battle ready to intensify screening and prevent any case in Lagos and Nigeria generally,” he said.

An official of Port Health, who gave her name as Mrs. Esther Awoyemi, and is stationed at the Lagos International Airport, said officials had been kept on alert, and that checks had been doubled up since the fresh case had been reported in the US.

She said, “As you are aware, the confirmed case in US is dead. We have been instructed to take special care especially with incoming passengers from the affected countries, and now, we are to be cautious of European and US passengers.”

“The ministry does not want a reoccurrence of what happened here a few months back, some countries are beginning to look up to us for strategies on how to contain the case, so we have to do everything to ensure we do not have fresh cases.”

Investigation by our correspondent showed that already, some passengers billed to travel from Nigeria have begun to cancel their flights over renewed fears of the deadly disease.

Aviation authorities are now taking extra measures to screen passengers on direct and connecting flights from the US.

The health officials are working with the immigration to forestall cases of infected person entering the country from the US or any other part especially now that about 100 people are currently under observation in the US.

“We are simply doing the normal thing. There is the need to be cautious when we hear of a reported case in any part of the world no matter how developed the country is. It is a normal routine because we cannot afford to take chances. Prevention is always better in health situations,” an aviation official told our correspondent.

An official of Delta Airlines, who gave her name as Marylyn Thomas, told our correspondent that since the breakout of the news of Ebola in US, some passengers have rescheduled or cancelled their flights.

She said, “It is becoming a serious issue I think everyone is trying to be careful since the news broke out. Already, some passengers are showing serious concern and some have gone as far as cancelling or rescheduling their flights.”
Culled from The Punch www.punchng.com
Photo Credit: News10 www.news10.net